By William Collinge, Ph.D. from Recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Guide to Self-Empowerment(Putnam, 1993)

Virtually every person I have known with CFS can relate to the experience of over-doing on "a good day" and then "crashing". There is however, an effective way to work with energy patterns rather than against them. I call it "the fifty percent solution", and it has proven very helpful for many patients. It goes as follows:

When you find yourself on a good day or in a period of remission, make an assessment of how much you feel you can do. For example, though up to now you have been able to exercise only very little, you may feel confident that you can walk a half mile with no problem. Following this method, you would walk a quarter mile, and then stop. Then for the next day or two, you very closely observe the impact this has had on your body.
If you relapse, your assessment must be adjusted downward on your next good day. If you feel fine, you may repeat this process a few times, each time limiting yourself to fifty percent of what you feel capable of doing. As your confidence grows, you may feel capable of walking a mile, in which case you would try a half mile, followed again by a close monitoring of your body's responses. Never take the attitude of challenging your limits.

The essence of the fifty percent solution is that you are spending half the energy you feel is available, and you are investing the other half in your body's healing process. It takes energy to heal. Energy that is spent outwardly is not available inwardly to energize your healing process. You are investing in a savings program that collects interest. Let your wealth grow, rather than spending every penny you find in your pocket.

It takes some self discipline to hold back in this way. But, to borrow a phrase from the field of psychiatry, a "flight into health" is often followed by a relapse. The stengthening of your resistance takes time and patience.

As you move further toward recovery, your assessment of your available energy will gradually rise. As you continue observing the fifty percent solution on your good days, you will discover that your periods of remission lengthen, and that the severity of your relapses gradually dimishes.

Recovery demands that you tune in to your body and truly respect the need to pace yourself, and invest some energy inwardly. The fifty percent solution has served as a useful guide line for many former PWC's along the road to recovery.

TIPS FOR OVER-DOERS

If you're a moderate or extreme over-doer, the following tips can help you put things in perspective:

SLOW DOWN. Make a concious effort to eat, talk, walk and drive more slowly. Give yourself extra time so you're not always rushing.

KNOW WHEN TO DRAW THE LINE. When you'realready over-loaded, don't take on any other projects.

LEARN TO DELEGATE. Let others share the load - you don't have to do everything yourself. If you delegate, you'll have more energy and the end result will be better for everyone.

WORK SMARTER, NOT LONGER. Be organized, but don't let your schedule run your life.

COME UP FOR AIR. Take frequent breaks: Short walks or meditating for a few minutes can help you unwind and clear your head.

REBUILD YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. Take time for heart-to-heart talks with colleagues, friends and family.

DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Travel to a new place, find a new hobby, or just take a different route.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Eat properly, get enough sleep and exercise regularly.

PUT THE RITUALS BACK IN YOUR LIFE. Take time to recognize your accomplishments and reward yourself. Celebrate special occassions with enthusiasm.

The Fifty Percent Solution and Tips for over-doers were taken from You, ME & Us, April 1995

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